Battery with electronic compartment

ABSTRACT

An electronic containment battery includes a battery section and an electronic section that together form a standard battery form factor that allows insertion into conventional electronic devices. The electronic section can include Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry that enables electronic operations in the electronic containment battery to be communicated or controlled wirelessly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/468,541, filed on May 6, 2003, and is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/839,822, filed on May 5, 2004,both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to electronic circuitry and moreparticularly to wireless control devices powered with batteries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the cost and physical form factor of radio-frequency (RF) componentsand subsystems has fallen, and integration and available bandwidth hasrisen, many new applications of wireless technology have becomepractical and/or commercially viable. In many cases, this trend resultsin the viability of adding wireless functionality to existing productsto either add features or overcome limitations of the device. In othercases, the availability of small, integrated, low cost RF devices andmodules make viable accessories which improve or overcome somelimitation of existing products.

One example of this is an article locator. The article locator is asmall wireless device attached to an article which a forgetful owner mayfrequently misplace, such as a TV remote control, car keys, cell phone,MP3 players, audio equipment, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or anyother type of battery operated device. Typically, a number of locationdevices are sold with a base station. Pressing a button on the basestation causes the base station to transmit a signal to the wirelessarticle locator. The article locator upon receiving the signal from thebase station emits an audible, visual or vibratory alarm enabling theuser to locate the article attached to the wireless device.

Adding new and possibly unrelated functionality to commonly usedarticles creates numerous obstacles. Accessories, such as the articlelocator, usually add to the physical form factor of the attachedarticle. The physical form factor refers to the conventional physicaloutside appearance and shape of an article. Changing the physical formfactor generally requires the user to accept a penalty in exchange forthe utility of the wireless feature.

For example, a remote control device may be ergonomically designed to beevenly balanced and to be comfortably held in the hand of an operator.The operator can point the remote control device and press the buttonson the remote control device at the same time.

Attaching a wireless locator device to the top or bottom of the remotecontrol device disrupts these ergonomic characteristics, includingdisrupting any balancing aspects of the remote, the way the remote mayrest on a coffee table or on top of a television, and the way that theremote is normally operated. For example, it may not be possible for theoperator to hold the remote and press the buttons at the same time withthe same hand, since the wireless device may obstruct certain movementsof the fingers on the top of a remote control key pad. Integratingwireless functionality inside a device at the factory burdens allmanufactured devices with the cost of the additional functionality,which may only be used by a fraction of the purchasers.

It is often either cumbersome or impossible to add the desiredfunctionality to an existing device, particularly if no external datainterface is provided. For example, it would be advantageous to be ableto convert a typical Infra-Red (IR) television (TV) remote control touse Radio Frequency (RF) signals in order to remove the need forline-of-sight between the remote control and the TV. Various accessorieshave been marketed implementing this function, but they have not beenparticularly successful because of the difficulty of attaching auniversal external IR receiver to the multiplicity of different remotecontrol form factors.

In addition, most batteries have certain disadvantages. It is notgenerally possible for a user to determine battery life. It is also notpossible to turn a battery off other than by removing the battery fromthe device it is powering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An Electronic Containment (EC) battery includes a battery section and anelectronic section that together form a standard battery form factorthat allows insertion into conventional electronic devices. Theelectronic section can include Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry thatenables electronic operations in the electronic containment battery tobe communicated or controlled wirelessly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of an Electronic Containment (EC) battery.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the EC battery shown in FIG. 1 with theoutside container shown with phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the EC battery shown in FIG. 1 with adetachable battery section.

FIG. 4 shows another configuration of the EC battery.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of an EC battery having a first standardbattery form factor that receives a second smaller standard battery formfactor.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the EC battery shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the EC battery incorporated into astandard watch battery form factor.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an electronic device and a base stationusing the EC battery.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing how the EC battery can be used as a locationmonitor.

FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing some of the circuitry in the basestation and EC battery.

FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram showing EC battery circuitry that convertsan IR remote control into an RF remote control.

FIG. 12 is an alternative circuit for the EC battery shown in FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An Electronic Containment (EC) battery has a standard battery formfactor and contains both a battery section holding a Direct Current (DC)battery and a separate electronic section for providing electronicfunctionality such as a wireless capability. The EC battery allowselectronic features, such as wireless operations, to be added toexisting battery operated devices without impacting the physical formfactor of the device.

Batteries come in many form factors, but the majority of batteries usestandard form factors, such as AAA, AA, 9V, C, D cells and watchbatteries. A variety of battery technologies, including both one-timeuse and rechargeable, are available for each of these common batteryform factors. The power density of these various battery technologiesvaries. It is generally possible to provide adequate power density in asmaller form factor than a particular battery-powered device needs,simply by using a marginally more expensive battery technology.

For example, many TV remote controls use AAA or AA battery cells andachieve months or years of life even when using the lowest power densityand lowest cost batteries. It is therefore possible to use less space ina standard battery form factor by using a higher quality batterytechnology. For example, the EC battery can use a smaller alkaline,Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), or Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batterytechnology to provide the same power storage capability as a standardbattery in a smaller space. The additional space made available in thestandard battery form factor is then used for providing additionalelectronic or other wireless functions.

Some of the many possible physical partitions of power storage andelectronics within a standard battery form factor are shown in FIGS.1-7. Other configurations or partitions are also possible for any otherconventional battery form factor. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodimentof the Electronic Containment (EC) battery 12 that includes a batterysection 14 and an electronic section 16 and maintains a standard AAA,AA, C or D battery form factor.

In one exemplary embodiment, the battery section 14 may comprise analkaline, NiCad, or NiMH battery technology or other battery technologythat uses less space than cheaper battery materials. The electronicsection 16, in one example, contains Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry 18and an antenna 20. Both the electronic section 16 section and thebattery section 14 may be coupled to a positive terminal 22 and anegative terminal 23 of the EC battery 12. Additional current and/orvoltage sensing circuitry 26 may also be contained in the electronicsection 16.

In one embodiment, all the electronics in the electronic section 16 areimplemented in a single Integrated Circuit (IC) or a small circuitboard. The battery section 14 and the electronic section 16 eachcomprise a semi-cylindrical longitudinal half of the EC battery 12. Awall 30 separates the electronic section 16 from the battery section 14.Both the battery section 14 and the electronic section 16 may be formedout of the same metal, paper, etc. that normally forms the outsidecontainer of a conventional battery. In another embodiment, the batterysection 14 and the electronic section 16 are formed out of plastic orany other semi-rigid or rigid material.

The outside container for the EC battery 12 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 maybe a single continuous piece of material that permanently holds thebattery section 14 and the electronic unit 16 together. In thisarrangement, the battery material in battery section 14 may berechargeable. The electronics in the electronic section 16 may theninclude circuitry that prevents damage when the battery section 14 isbeing recharged.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the EC battery 12 that provides adetachable battery section 14 and electronic section 16. Thisconfiguration allows either disposable or rechargeable battery materialsto be used in battery section 14. Replacement battery sections 14 couldthen could be interchanged with the electronic section 16. The batterysection 14 is formed into a separate container with a substantially halfsemi-cylinder shape. The electronic section 16 similarly is a separatecontainer having a substantially half semi-cylinder shape. The twosections 14 and 16 can be formed out of any material typically used tocontain a battery or alternatively could be made out of other materialsuch as plastic.

In one example, the battery section 14 includes two receptor slots 34that receive mating connectors 32. In one embodiment, the connectors 32and receptor slots 34 are formed of conductive material. The connectors32 are coupled to the electronic circuitry in the electronic section 16and the receptor slots 34 are coupled to the positive terminal 22 andnegative terminal 23 of the battery section 14. Inserting the connectors32 into the receptor slots 34 couple the electronics 18, 20 and 26 (FIG.2) to the positive terminal 22 and the negative terminal 23.

In another embodiment, the connectors 32 and the receptor slots 34 onlyprovide mechanical attachment of the battery section 14 with theelectronic section 16. In this embodiment, contacts 36 on opposite endsof the electronic section 16 provide electrical coupling with thepositive terminal 22 and negative terminal 23 of the battery section 14when the two sections 14 and 16 are fully attached together. Othermechanical and electrical coupling techniques are also possible.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment where the battery section 14 and theelectronic section 16 take up different portions of the EC battery 12.In this example, the battery section 14, similar to the battery section14 shown in FIGS. 1-3, may comprise a NiMH or other type of batterytechnology that uses less space than a conventional battery form factor.The extra space in the EC battery 12 is used by the electronic section16 to hold RF circuitry 18, antenna 20 and current and/or voltagesensing circuitry 26. Both the electronic section 16 and the batterysection 14 may be coupled to both the positive terminal 22 and thenegative terminal 23 of the EC battery 12.

In one mechanical embodiment the battery section 14 and the electronicsection 16 are formed into a unitary single package with a conventionalbattery form factor. In another embodiment, the battery section 14 andelectronic section 16 are contained in separate container pieces 28A and28B that are both electrically and mechanically connected togetherpossibly using connectors 38 and associated contact slots 40 similar tothe connectors 32 and contact slots 34 previously shown in FIG. 3. Inthis embodiment, the two separate container pieces 28A and 28B havecircular shapes that connect along substantially a vertical center axisof the EC battery 12 as opposed to being semi-circular shapes thatconnect along a horizontal center axis of EC battery 12 as shown in FIG.3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another example of an EC battery 12 having the formfactor of a standard battery but mechanically arranged to accept abattery 48 having a smaller standard battery form factor. The EC battery12 includes an electronic section 16 that holds the RF circuitry 18,antenna 20 or any other circuitry or electronic function that may bedesired to be implemented. The electronic section 16 includes a slot 46that slidingly receives a conventional battery 48. When the battery 48is inserted into the slot 46, the form factor of the EC battery 12 isthe same as a standard battery. For example, the EC battery 12 may havethe form factor of a standard AA, C, or D battery. The slot 48 howeveris configured to receive a AAA, AA or watch battery 48 or any other typeof convention battery that is small enough to fit inside the standardbattery form factor of the EC battery 12. Other battery form factorscould also be used, including camera flash batteries with a 9 Volt (V)form factor or other battery form factors not specifically listed above.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the EC battery 12 that has the formfactor of a conventional watch battery. The battery section 14 containsa battery material conventionally used for watch batteries such as amicro alkaline or silver oxide material. The electronic section 16contains any of the electronics described above in FIGS. 1-6 or maycontain other electronics not mentioned.

APPLICATIONS

Battery Level Indicator

FIG. 8 shows the EC battery 12 inserted into slot 52 of a batterypowered device 50. The battery powered device 50 can be any electricaldevice that receives a conventional battery having a standard batteryform factor. Some examples of battery powered devices include, keyfaubs, television and stereo remote controls, garage door remotecontrols, smoke alarms, cellular telephones, Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs) or any other type of battery powered device.

The EC battery 12 may include the current and/or voltage sensingcircuitry 26 previously described in FIG. 4. The sensing circuitry 26monitors the voltage or current level of the battery material in batterysection 14. In one example, the EC battery 12 uses the RF circuitry 18to then send wireless signals 58 to a base station 60 communicating thevoltage or current level data monitored by the sensing circuitry 26. Thesensing circuitry 26 can either continuously provide real time batterystatus information 58 to the base station 60 or may only send thebattery status information 58 when a low charge threshold is crossed bythe battery material in battery section 14.

Responsive to the battery status information 58, the base station 60either annunciates a low battery warning through an annunciator 62, suchas a speaker, or may display the battery level information on a display68. In another embodiment, the base station 60 identifies the particularEC battery 12 that sends the battery status information 58. For example,the RF circuitry 18 in the EC battery 12 may send a serial number orother identifier in the wireless signals 58 that is used by the basestation 60 to identify the specific EC battery 12 on display 68.

The current or voltage sensing circuitry 26 could also infer informationabout the operation of the battery powered device 50 based on themeasured current or voltage of the battery section 14. For example, thesensing circuitry 26 could send a wireless signal 58 to base station 60indicating that the battery section 14 is drawing substantially novoltage or current. The base station 60 may infer from the low powerdraw that the battery powered device 50 is either off or in a standbymode. If the sensing circuitry 26 indicates a voltage or current drawabove some minimal amount, the base station 60 may infer that the device50 is in an operational mode. Pursuant to receiving signal 58, the basestation 60 would then indicate on display 68 that the device 50 iscurrently on. This would allow a user to look at the display 68 on basestation 60 to determine if any electronic devices, such as batterypowered device 50, should be turned off.

Smoke Alarm

Referring still to FIG. 8, another embodiment of the EC battery is usedfor enhancing smoke alarm functionality. In this application, thebattery powered device 50 is a smoke alarm that contains the EC battery12. In this example, the EC battery 12 may have a 9 volt battery formfactor. There may be multiple smoke alarms 50 that each includes an ECbattery 12. The EC batteries 12 communicate with the base station 60which typically would be located in the kitchen within easy reach of astove. The base station 60 provides an indication of battery life asdescribed above. This allows the battery section 14 to be replaced orrecharged before the irritating low battery indication signal begins tosound on the smoke alarm.

The EC battery 12 could also include an electronic on/off switch (seeswitch 90 in FIG. 10) with a failsafe state of on. If the smoke alarm 50were activated in a non-emergency situation, such as while cooking, oneof buttons 66 on the base station 60 can be pressed to temporarilydisconnect the battery section 14 from the smoke alarm 50. This wouldturn off the smoke detector alarm for a brief period. The batterysection 14 would then be automatically reconnected to the smoke alarm.

The base station 60 could also connect to a security system 74, to addcentral station fire alarm capability without having to install new firesensors and wiring. In this embodiment, the sensing circuitry 26 maydetect when the smoke alarm 50 is activated by detecting a particularlevel of current drain from battery section 14. The RF circuitry 18accordingly sends an alarm signal 58 to the base station 60 indicatingthe smoke alarm 50 has been activated. The base station 60 then sends analarm signal to the central security alarm 74.

Device Locator

Referring still to FIG. 8, the EC battery 12 can also be used as adevice locator. The EC battery 12 both powers the device 50 and alsoserves to locate the battery powered device 50. The EC battery 12 mayinclude an annunciation device 55, such as a speaker. The base station60 includes one or more find buttons 66 that cause the base station 60to send a wireless signal 58 to the RF circuitry 18 in the EC battery12. Upon receiving the wireless signal 58, the annunciation device 55 inthe electronic section 16 is activated. A user can then listen to theannunciation signal 53 output from the EC battery 12 to locate device50. The annunciation device 55 may use the cavity of the electronicsection 16 (see FIGS. 1-7) for increasing the resonance of theannunciation signal 53.

The base station 60 can include multiple buttons 66, each communicatingwith one of multiple different wireless EC batteries 12. The basestation 60 can also include a battery charger 64 for recharging thebattery sections 14 that include rechargeable battery materials.

Proximity Monitor

Referring still to FIG. 8, another application for the EC battery 12 isfor use as an anti-theft or child security device. In the anti-theftapplication, the base station 60 may be connected to a burglar alarm 74or other security system. The EC battery 12 and the base station 60periodically exchange wireless signals 58. The alarm 74 is activatedwhen the base station 60 does not receive the wireless signal 58 fromthe EC battery 12 for some period of time. This indicates that thedevice 50 has been taken beyond some threshold communication distancefrom the remote station 60. For example, when some is trying to stealthe device 50.

In another application, the EC battery 12 is used in a device 50, suchas a pager type device with a clip, that can be attached to a child orlocated in a child stroller. In this application, the failure of thebase station 60 to periodically receive the signal 58 from the device 50indicates that the child carrying the device 50 has strayed beyond somepreconfigured distance from the base station 60. As shown in FIG. 9, thebase station 60 may be a portable device that can be carried by thechild's parent.

To avoid detection, someone may try to remove the EC battery 12 from thebattery powered device 50. The sensing circuitry 26 could sense aquiescent current drawn from the device 50, even when the device 50 isturned off. If the EC battery 12 is removed from the device 50, thesensing circuitry 26 detects no quiescent current draw. This causes thesensing circuitry 26 to send a wireless signal 58 to the base station 60that causes the base station 60 to activate the alarm 74 or annunciator62.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the EC battery 12 used as a proximitymonitor. The base station 60 in this example may be worn on a person 82or carried in another clothing article commonly worn or carried byperson 82. The EC battery 12 powers a battery powered device 50 that theuser 82 does not wish to be separated from. For example, the batterypowered device 50 in this example may be a car key faub, PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA), etc. In another example, the device 50 does noteven need to be inserted into a battery powered device, but may simplybe placed in the article, such as a wallet or purse, that the person 82does not wish to forget.

The base station 60 and the EC battery 12 periodically (for exampleevery minute) exchange brief wireless signals 58, confirming that theyare within some predefined range. If the base station 60 and the ECbattery 12 became separated beyond some threshold distance or wereunable to successfully exchange the wireless signals 58, the annunciator62 in the base station 60 or the annunciator 55 in the EC battery 12, orboth, are activated. Thus, the EC battery 12 prevents someone fromleaving behind the battery powered device 50, such as the PDA or keyfaub.

FIG. 10 shows one example of circuitry in the EC battery 12 and in thebase station 60 used for providing the battery charge sensing, devicelocating, or proximity monitoring functions described above. For batterylevel detection the sensing circuitry 26 in the EC battery 12 mayinclude a resistor or any other electrical components used formonitoring a voltage or current level for the battery section 14. AMicro-Controller Unit (MCU) 92 may periodically activate a switch 91that enables a measurement of the voltage or current for the battery inbattery section 14. If the voltage or current measurement from sensingcircuitry 26 drops below some threshold value, the MCU 92 activates anRF transmitter in the RF circuitry 18 that transmits a signal 58 to thebase station 60.

A MCU 96 in the base station 60 receives signal 58 and generates asignal to an interface device, such as the annunciator 62 or the display68 (FIGS. 8 and 9). In an alternative embodiment, the MCU 96 in the basestation 60 transmits a signal 58 to the EC battery 12 that causes theMCU 92 to take a measurement for battery section 14. The MCU 92 reportsthe measurement value over wireless signal 58 back to the base station60. The battery charge query signal 58 transmitted by the base station60 may be initiated automatically by the MCU 96 or may be initiatedmanually by a user pressing one of buttons 66 (FIG. 8).

For the device locator application, the EC battery 12 includes theannunciation device 55 that is activated when one of the buttons 66(FIG. 8) in the base station signal 60 is pressed. In this application,the MCU 96 or some other type of signal generator in the base station 60generates one or more signals 58 that are output from an RF transmitterin base station RF circuitry 94. The RF circuitry 18 in the EC battery12 includes an RF receiver that receives the signals 58 via antenna 20.The MCU 92, or some other type control circuitry, activates theannunciator 55 whenever the wireless signal 58 is detected from the basestation 60.

In another embodiment where the EC battery 12 is used as a devicelocator or as a proximity monitor, the RF circuitry 18 in the EC battery12 may include RF transceiver circuitry that bounces back signal 58 sentfrom the base station 60 back to the base station 60. This allows theMCU 96 in the base station 60 to measure a propagation delay for thesignal 58 sent to and then received back from the EC battery 12.

For example, the MCU 96 may include a counter function that counts thenumber of pulses 98 in signal 58 that are received over some period oftime. The number of counted pulses is proportional to the propagationdelay of the signal 58. Alternatively, the MCU 96 may count the amountof time required for each pulse 98 in signal 58 to be sent and thenreceived back from the EC battery 12. The base station 60 determines thedistance of the device 50 from the base station 60 according to measuredpropagation delay. Calculating a propagation delay of a wireless signalis known to those skilled in the art and is therefore not described infurther detail.

The calculated distance between the base station 60 and the device 50 isthen used for any of the device locator or proximity detectionapplications described above. For example, for the device locatorapplication, the distance of the device 50 from base station 60 can beoutput in text form from the display 68 (FIG. 8) on the basic station 60or a tone can be generated from annunciator 62 on the basic station 60that varies according to the distance of device 50 (FIG. 8) from thebase station 60.

For example, a high pitched tone could be generated when the device 50is relatively close to the base station 60. A lower pitched tone couldbe generated by the base station 60 when the device 50 is a fartherdistance away. This could eliminate having to provide the annunciationdevice 55 in the EC battery 12. It is also possible to use multiple basestations 60 that triangulate signals received back from the same ECbattery 12 so that a precise x-y position of the device 50 from the basestation 60 could be displayed.

In the proximity monitoring application described above, the EC battery12 is used for preventing someone from leaving the device 50 or forpreventing someone from stealing the device 50. As also described above,proximity monitoring can be used to notify a parent when a child haswondered too far away from the base station 60. In these applications,the MCU 96 calculates the distance of the device 50 from the basestation 60 according to the measured propagation delay of signal 58 asdescribed above. The MCU 96 in the base station 60 compares thecalculated distance to some threshold value that may be programmed intothe MCU 96. If the calculated distance is greater than the thresholdvalue, or if the wireless signal 58 is simply not returned to the basestation 60, the MCU 96 activates annunciator 62 and/or the securitysystem 74 (FIGS. 8 and 9)

On/Off Switch

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 10, switch 90 is used for the smoke alarmapplication described above. The switch 90 can be in a normally closedposition. A user may press one of the buttons 66 (FIG. 8) on the basestation 60 to disable one or more smoke alarms 50 powered by one or moreof the EC batteries 12. For example, the smoke alarm 50 may activatewhile a user is cooking. The user presses button 66 to send signal 58 tothe EC battery 12 in the smoke alarm 50. The MCU 92 in the EC battery 12detects the signal 58 and accordingly opens switch 90 (FIG. 10) for somepredetermined period of time. This temporarily disables the alarm in thesmoke detector 50. After the predetermined period has passed, the MCU 92closes switch 90 reconnecting the battery section 14 to the smoke alarm50.

In another embodiment, the circuitry in the EC battery 12 disables thebattery section 14 from powering the device 50 unless the device 50 iswithin some predetermined range of the base station 60. The base station60 may periodically send the signal 58 to the EC battery 12. If the RFcircuitry 18 does not receive the signal 58 from the base station 60 forsome period of time, or if the propagation delay of signal 58 is greaterthan some threshold, the MCU 92 opens switch 90 disconnecting thebattery section 14 from the battery powered device 50.

The on/off switch 90 in FIG. 10 can also be used to improve batterylife. Many battery-powered devices 50 continue to drain current fromattached batteries even when not in use. This continuous quiescentcurrent drain can exhaust all the power from batteries that are left indevices 50 for an extended period. One example is wireless HumanInterface Devices (HID) devices, such a keyboard, mouse, gamepad, etc,which typically draw significant current even when not being used.

In one implementation, the sensing circuitry 26 monitors the currentdrain from battery section 14 and sends a wireless signal 58 reportingthe current drain to the base station 60. The base station 60 monitorsthe current drain signal 58 and detects when the device 50 is off or ina standby mode. For example; when the current drain is below some lowthreshold value. The base station 60 sends a message to the EC battery12 turning off switch 90 effectively disconnecting the device 50 frombattery section 14. This causes device 50 to only draw power frombattery section 14 when the device 50 is in operation.

The MCU 92 in EC battery 12 can alternatively be programmed to performany of the monitoring functions performed by the base station 60. Thebase station 60 can generate unique signals for different EC batteries12. The circuitry in the EC batteries 12 would then only respond totheir associated wireless signals 58. Any unique signaling technique canbe used for differentiating signals sent to different EC batteries 12.For example, a serial number may be associated with each EC battery anda wireless signal 58 may include an identifier associated with the ECbattery serial number. Alternatively, the RF circuitry 18 in each ECbattery 12 may be associated with different frequency hopping schemes ordifferent encoding schemes.

Infra-Red-Radio Frequency Converter

Current IR remote control devices operate on line of site. In otherwords, the remote control signals do not work if the IR signals from theremote control device do not point substantially at the IR receiver inthe television or stereo. If the portion of the TV or stereo equipmentcontaining the IR receiver is located in a cabinet, the IR signals maynot be able to pass through the glass or other furniture containing theIR receiver.

Referring back to FIG. 8, the EC battery 12 in another embodimentoperates as an Infra-Red (IR) to Radio Frequency (RF) remote controlconverter. In this embodiment, the battery powered device 50 is anIR-based remote control device, such as a television or stereo remotecontrol. The current-sensing ability of the sensing circuitry 26 is usedto monitor the power drawn by the IR-based remote control device 50 fromthe battery section 14.

The sensing circuitry 26 infers from the current draw from the batterysection 14 when an IR Light Emitting Diode (LED) 56 in the remotecontrol device 50 is on and when it was off. The sensing circuitry 26then converts the IR data into RF signals 58 that are transmitted to thebase station 60. The base station 60 receives the RF signals 56 andretransmits the data as an IR signal 73 to a TV, stereo 78, etc. usingan IR LED 70. Because the RF signals 58 can be received from the ECbattery 12 without having to be within line-of-site, the base station 60can successfully receive the RF signals 58 and forward the equivalentdata as IR signals 73 to the TV or stereo IR receiver 76.

The base station 60 is well positioned in some location where the IRsignal 73 can be successfully received by the IR receiver 76 in the TVor stereo 78. For example, the base station 60 may be located in thesame stereo cabinet containing the TV or stereo 78. In an alternativeembodiment, the base station 60 is connected through a cable 75 directlyto the TV or stereo 78. Electrical signals are then sent over the cable75 that contain the remote control data received over the RF signals 58.

FIG. 11 shows the circuitry in the EC battery 12 that provides the RFremote control converter function for an IR remote device 50. The IRremote control circuitry in the remote control device 50 includes a MCU100. The MCU 100 generates different pulse signals 102 responsive to anoperator pressing buttons 104 on the remote control device 50. The pulsesignals 102 are conventionally used to activate the IR LED 56 thattransmits an IR signal 106 to the IR receiver 76 in the TV, stereo orother IR controlled device 78 (FIG. 8).

The sensing circuitry 26 in the EC battery 12 monitors the current drainfrom the battery section 14 that rises and falls in proportion to the onand off condition generated by IR signal 102. In other words, when thepulses in signal 102 are high (on condition), the LED 56 is activateddrawing current from battery section 14. In between pulses, the signal102 is low and the LED 56 is off drawing little or no current frombattery section 14.

The current signals 108 are proportional to the current drain and aresensed by the sensing circuitry 26. The sensing circuitry 26 convertsthe current signal 108 into a corresponding voltage signal 110 that isfed into a mixer 112. The sensing circuitry 26 also generates a currentdetection signal 114 that activates an on/off switch 116 whenever thecurrent signal 108 indicates an on condition. The on/off switch 116activates a frequency generator 118 generating a frequency signal thatis mixed with the voltage signal 110 to produce the RF signal 58 thatcorresponds to the IR signal 102. The RF signal 58 is transmitted viaantenna 20 to the base station 60.

An RF receiver 120 in the base station 60 receives the RF signal 58 viaantenna 72. The RF receiver 120 outputs the RF signals to an amplifier122 and also generates an RF detection signal 124 then turns theamplifier 122 on and off according to any detected RF signals 58. Theamplifier 122 generates an output signal 126 that corresponds to the IRsignal 102 generated by the MCU 100 in the IR remote control device 50.The signal 126 activates the IR LED 70 in the base station 60. The IRLED 70 is located next to the IR receiver 76 (FIG. 8) in the TV orstereo 78. Thus, the RF signal 58 is alternatively used for controllingan IR operated device. In one alternative embodiment, an output 128 fromthe amplifier 122 connects to the cable 75 that couples directly to aninput of the TV or stereo 78.

FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the sensing circuitry 26 inthe EC battery 12. An operational amplifier (op-amp) 130 monitors thecurrent drain 108 of the battery section 14. The op-amp 130 generates avoltage signal 132 that corresponds to the current drain signal 108.When the current drain signal 108 is low, the output of op-amp 130 isoff. When the current drain signal 108 is high, the output of op-amp 130is on. The output signal 132 drives a signal generator 134 thatgenerates the RF signal 58 that is transmitted via the antenna 20 to thebase station 60.

It should be understood that any combination of the applications abovecan be included in the electronics provided in the EC battery 12. Forexample, the device locator function can be combined with the IR-RFfunction used in an IR remote control device. The base station 60 canalso program the MCU 92 (FIG. 10) in any EC battery 12 to provide anyone or more of the different operations described above. The EC battery12 is inserted into the slot 64 shown in FIG. 8. A user would then pressone of buttons 66 on the base station 60 that causes the MCU 92 to beprogrammed to perform one or more of the operations described above. TheMCU 92 could alternatively be programmed through RF signals 58 orthrough a separate physical connection in the base station 60.

The EC battery 12 can also be designed to minimize power consumptionfrom the battery section 14. For example, some applications may requirethe RF circuitry 18 to continuously send signals 58 to the base station60 or may require the RF circuitry 18 to continuously monitor signals 58sent from the base station 60. The MCU 92 (FIG. 10) can be programmed toonly periodically turn on the RF circuitry 18. This may require a userto press a locator button 66 on the base station 60 for a longer periodof time or it may require the base station 60 to send out a propagationdelay detection signal for a longer period of time. However, this hasthe benefit of substantially reducing the amount of operating powerconsumed by the electronics in the EC battery 12.

The EC battery 12 enables RF functionality to be inserted into astandard battery slot for battery-powered devices without impacting thedevice form factor. The RF features can be optionally added to existingelectronic products without requiring redesign or burdening the basecost of the product. The EC battery 12 can detect current flow into thebattery powered device 50 and in some circumstances allows accessoriesto infer data about device operation. Battery life can be remotelymonitored and the battery can be turned on and off remotely.

It should be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to“one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature,structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention.Therefore, it is emphasized and should be appreciated that two or morereferences to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “an alternativeembodiment” in various portions of this specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures or characteristics may be combined assuitable in one or more embodiments of the invention.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the foregoing description ofexemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of theinvention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure,or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosureaiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventiveaspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than allfeatures of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claimsfollowing the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporatedinto this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as aseparate embodiment of this invention.

1. A device, comprising: a housing having a shape corresponding to abattery form factor; a battery section detachably coupled to thehousing, the battery section containing a power source; and anelectronic section integrally formed with the housing and containingelectronic circuitry that draws power from the detachably coupledbattery section, wherein the electronic circuitry is operable to:measure current drain from the power source by an Infra Red (IR) device,and responsive to measuring the current drain, generate a voltage signalhaving an amplitude that varies proportionally in response to themeasured current drain; generate a Radio Frequency (RF) signal inresponse to the generated voltage; and transmit the generated RF signalto a base station for controlling a remote device.
 2. An apparatus forinserting into a battery compartment of a host device comprising: abattery module to provide current to the host device through terminalsin the battery compartment of the host device; and an electronic modulehaving an attachment region structured to detachably couple to thebattery module, wherein the electronic module is configured to drawpower from the detachably coupled battery module, measure a currentdrain from the battery module by the host device, and in response tomeasuring the current drain, generate a voltage signal having anamplitude that varies proportionally in response to the measured currentdrain; wherein the battery module has a first shape that is smaller thana battery form factor, and the electronic module has a second shape thatis substantially similar in shape to the first shape, the second shapecorresponding to the first shape such that, when the modules aredetachably coupled, a combined shape of the detachably coupled modulescorresponds to the battery form factor.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2wherein the combined shape is a cylindrical shape.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 2 wherein the first and second shapes are both non-cylinders. 5.The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the electronic module includescircuitry operable to: generate a Radio Frequency (RF) signal inresponse to the generated voltage; and transmit the generated RF signalto a base station for controlling a remote device.
 6. The apparatusaccording to claim 2 wherein the electronic module includes circuitryoperable to: detect inputs triggering Infra Red (IR) transmissions fromthe host device; generate a Radio Frequency (RF) signal based on thedetected inputs; and transmit the generated RF signal to a base stationfor controlling a remote device.
 7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein theelectronic module comprises: a first curved surface having a curvaturecorresponding to the battery form factor; and a second non-curvedsurface having the attachment region.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2further comprising: connector slots located on a surface of the batterymodule; and mating connectors located in the attachment region of theelectronic module.
 9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the form factoris a AAA battery form factor.
 10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein thebattery module is rechargeable.
 11. An apparatus, comprising: a batterysection; and an electronic section connected to the battery section, theelectronic section to draw power from the battery section; wherein theconnected sections have a combined shape that corresponds to a batteryform factor; wherein the electronic section is operable to: monitor acurrent flowing from the battery section; generate an output based onthe monitored current, the output representing a status of, or activityin, the battery section or a host device; measure a current drain fromthe battery section by the host device, and in response to measuring thecurrent drain, generating a voltage signal having an amplitude thatvaries proportionally in response to the measured current drain.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11 wherein the battery section and the electronicsection are detachably coupled.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11 whereinthe electronic section is further operable to: sense a charge of thebattery section based on the monitored current; and wirelessly transmita communication to a base station, the communication based on the sensedcharge of the battery section.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein theelectronic section is further operable to: determine whether the sensedcharge is below a threshold; and wirelessly transmit the communicationonly if the sensed charge is below the threshold.
 15. The apparatus ofclaim 11 wherein the electronic section is further operable to:determine whether the host device is in an operational mode according tothe monitored current; and output the indication according to whetherthe host device is in an operational mode.
 16. The apparatus of claim 11wherein the electronic section is further operable to: detect when thehost device is activated according to the monitored current; and outputthe indication only if the host device is activated.
 17. The apparatusof claim 11, wherein the current drain is caused by an Infra Red (IR)transmitter of the host device, and wherein the electronic section isfurther operable to: generate a Radio Frequency (RF) signal based on thegenerated voltage signal; and transmit the RF signal to a base stationfor controlling a remote device.
 18. An apparatus, comprising: a batterysection; and an electronic section connected to the battery section, theelectronic section to draw power from the battery section; wherein theconnected sections have a combined shape that corresponds to a batteryform factor; wherein the electronic section is operable to: monitor acurrent flowing from the battery section; generate an output based onthe monitored current, the output representing a status of, or activityin, the battery section or a host device; detect a current drain fromthe battery section by the host device, and in response to detecting thecurrent drain, generating a voltage signal that is proportional to thedetected current drain, and wherein the electronic section is furtheroperable to: detect when the apparatus is removed from a batterycompartment of the host device according to the monitored current; andoutput an indication according to whether the apparatus is removed fromthe battery compartment.
 19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein theelectronic section is further operable to: identify an input into thehost device according to the monitored current; and wirelessly transmita communication to the base station, the communication identifying theinput into the host device.
 20. An apparatus, comprising: a batterysection; and an electronic section connected to the battery section, theelectronic section to draw power from the battery section; wherein theconnected sections have a combined shape that corresponds to a batteryform factor; wherein the electronic section is operable to: monitor acurrent flowing from the battery section; generate an output based onthe monitored current, the output representing a status of, or activityin, the battery section or a host device; detect a current drain fromthe battery section by the host device, and in response to detecting thecurrent drain, generating a voltage signal that is proportional to thedetected current drain wherein the current drain is caused by an InfraRed (IR) transmitter of the host device, and wherein the electronicsection is further operable to: mix the generated voltage signal with afrequency signal to generate a Radio Frequency (RF) signal; and transmitthe RF signal to a base station for controlling a remote device.